BETJEMAN
(Sir John, 1906-1982, Poet Laureate)
Small collection of Autograph Letters to Percy MUIR
(1894-1979, Antiquarian Bookseller, Collector and Bibliographer) and his wife, the first to “Dear Bibliomuir, thanking him for thinking of him. As a matter of fact I like it very much & have seen other places in that process, but not Brighton. As a little token of thanks I enclose this Chiselhampton thing. The money was substantial, so keep it as a souvenir...”, 1 side 8vo., The Mead Wantage, Berks, 26th November 1955, together with a printed copy of Verses Turned “in aid of A Public Subscription Towards the Restoration of the Church of St Katherine, Chiselhampton, Oxon”, with printed signatures of several of the sponsors and an autograph inscription signed “To BiblioMuir from J Betjeman”, 2 pages 4to., with original autograph envelope, together with another Autograph Letter Signed to “Biblio and Mrs Muir” thanking him for sending the “CRL Fletcher’s Guide to Oxford, I can just remember the book when I was a new boy at the Dragon School. (Lyman’s it was called then) & the prejudices of its author I shared then myself ‘KEBLE... as for the buildings, they were perpetrated - there is no other word for it - by Mr Butterfield in 1870’. I like too the OUP wartime format of the book. It is a gloriously forthright anti-town, pro University... liberal, jingo-istic & patronising book. I find I can’t put it down. It recalls my youth in an agonising way. How quiet was Cumnor then & how many lived who remembered Jowett...”, 2 sides 8vo, The Mead, Wantage, Berks, no date, circa
Item Date:
1955
Stock No:
42664
£775
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BETJEMAN
(Sir John, 1906-1982, Poet Laureate)
Typed Letter Signed to Mr Stanley Jones
thanking him for his "most kind letter ... I really don't know of any book such as that to which you refer, my feeling has always been enjoy those poems that appeal most to you, I don't think it matters if one doesn't understand all of it. One doesn't want to be too analytical ...", 1 side A4, 43 Cloth Fair headed paper, 19th January
Item Date:
1972
Stock No:
41161
£175
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BETJEMAN
(Sir John, 1906-1982, Poet Laureate)
Carbon Copy of a Typed Letter Signed to “Dear and Learned Clerk” the copy is addressed to Mrs R. S. Thomas
the copy letter says he is “most grateful for your action over the two-stroke engine, it is now somewhat muffled. The enclosed letter from the wife of that great poet, the Rev. R.S. Thomas, and herself a considerable artist, is I like to hope, alarmist and two of the lamp standards have been taken down for repair...”, with autograph postcript “Copy to Mrs R.S. Can I come & see you? What a good drawing of the lamp-post. Love to Ronald. John B”, 1 side A4, 43 Cloth Fair headed paper, with original typed envelope, 7th March
Item Date:
1972
Stock No:
42043
£275
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BETJEMAN
(Sir John, 1906-1982, Poet Laureate)
Fine Autograph Letter Signed to "Dear Miss Roberts"
telling her that "there is a very distinguished Archivist attached to Barts Hospital & it would be better if you wrote to him. As you know Barts the ... & the Hospital are closely linked. I am too much of an amateur to be of any use. I have forgotten the Archivist's name ..." with a postscript asking her to forgive his "handwriting - this is written on an SR Train!", j(Southern Rail), 1side 8vo., 43 Cloth Fair, EC1, 2nd November
Item Date:
1966
Stock No:
41730
£275
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ORIGINAL POEM
BINYON
([Robert] Laurence, 1869-1943, Poet and Playwright, Oriental Curator at the British Museum)
Autograph Letter Signed to 'Dear Leggatt'
saying that he really hasn't "had time to be inspired on Top-hats. Wait till those scrannel lines of Mrs Dyer and the Ruins of Rome have put me into the proper funereal mood for such a black subject. Meanwhile I send you this as a sop - some profane verses on your idol Tennyson ...", inside are 10 verses of 4 lines each titled "Peerless Poet v. Poet-Peer", the first verse reads "I see thee cloak'd about thy chair, / The fragrant cloud upon thy lip, / The old Virginian fellowship, / Cooperant case, dissolving care ..." and the final verse "That mock'd thy wisdom. Rise & fly ? The fawning rout, the apish horde, / Move upward, working out the 'Lord' / And let the tuft and title die.", 3 sides 8vo., 3 Matheson Road, West Kensington, no date
Item Date:
1924
Stock No:
39426
£375
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